


No Candle No Light (No Friendzone To My Love)

by TeamLouis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Harry, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I'm sorry I don't know how to tag, Idiots in Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, Slow Burn, Smoking, Smut, Top Louis, a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:13:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24916660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamLouis/pseuds/TeamLouis
Summary: Louis glanced at his friend, glaring daggers and Niall chuckled. He looked like his idea could end world hunger and Louis was horrified. [...]“Come on, Niall! Tell me!” Harry insisted, excited.“You can threaten him other than with violence. You said you want a little revenge, right? What if an ex-boyfriend came to reconquer you? You know, the jealous and aggressive kind.”Harry sighed loudly, closing his eyes. Louis frowned, just like Liam and Zayn. What was he talking about? And why was he still looking at Louis that way?“Niall, this could’ve been a nice idea if I had an ex-boyfriend, but-”“Let me explain!” Niall barged in. “ You don’t have an ex-boyfriend but you can pretend you have one! I’m sure Louis would love to help you with that.”Liam almost choked on his wine and Zayn bit so hard on his lip to contain his laughter that it might have bled. Niall looked satisfied as hell, of course he was the little shit, and Louis just had time to flip him the finger before Harry turned to him. He was fucking delighted.Or the one where helping Harry getting rid of his boyfriend may be the only way to his heart
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 25
Kudos: 283
Collections: Bottom Harry Fic Fest





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [No Candle No Light (No Friendzone To My Love)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26236834) by [TeamLouis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamLouis/pseuds/TeamLouis)



> Hi everyone ! I'm really happy to be part of the Bottom Harry Fic Fest ! I hope that you'll love the fic as much as I loved writing it.
> 
> Thank you Lucy for being my beta, I wouldn't have been able to post it without you ! I'd also like to thank my wonderful boyfriend who is the best support
> 
> Anyway, enjoy and do not hesitate to leave comments and kudos !

_Why the fuck am I here ?_

That’s what Louis thought for the umpteenth time in the last hour, muscles and cheeks burning, sweat running down his forehead. He put down the dumbbells and reached for a towel to wipe his face. Then, he drank from his water bottle and put a hand on his heart, which was beating way too fast. He was feeling short of breath and he wondered how he could be this young and in such bad shape. He was sure that 28 wasn’t that old. But he knew that one day, not enough sleep and too many cigarettes would be the death of him. It should worry him, but he couldn’t care less. 

_Why the fuck am I here ?_

He stretched his legs before him and winced at the burning sensation in his calves. The music was giving him a headache and he was disgusted by the strong smell of sweat that was clogging up his lungs. Sighing, he looked at Liam, in plank position on his sports mat. He looked constipated, but instead of telling him so, Louis threw his towel at him. Liam collapsed, grunting like a bear. He looked annoyed. Constipated and annoyed. Louis giggled at his red face. 

“Why do you always insist on coming with me?” Liam asked, panting. “You obviously hate working out.”

“That’s exactly what I thought!” Louis exclaimed. “I’m done for today, I really don’t wanna die.”

He already feared the soreness he would feel in his whole body the next day. He dreamed of a nice and warm bath, but remembered that he didn’t own a bathtub. Life was hard sometimes. He glanced through the window ; the wind made the leaves fly about and the rain fell hard. Typical weather for a February in London. Louis yawned; it was almost 10pm and he was exhausted. He watched Liam’s every move as he put all his things into his large gym bag. He stretched out his hand for Louis to take. 

“You did good,” he said in a soft voice. “You progress a little more with every training session.”

Louis was quite happy that his efforts were starting to pay off. His arms were stronger, his tummy firmer. He was becoming more supple too. 

“Do you wanna watch the boys’ training?”

As if Louis could say no. He nodded, took his bag and followed his friend through the gym. The place was almost empty and their shoes squeaked on the laminate floor. Liam pushed the door and they entered the room dedicated to boxing training. 

Zayn shouted, making Louis startle. 

“Harry, faster! Imagine this fucking punching bag wants to break your jaw! Faster! Faster! Yeah, that’s it, move to the right! Be careful of your feet!”

And Harry moved, moved, moved, rounding the punching bag as if it was his opponent. He didn’t seem to be annoyed by the military orders of their friend. In a corner of the room, Niall was skipping. 

Silently, Liam and Louis sat on a bench in front of the ring. That’s when Louis remembered why he came to the gym three times a week for two hours. Harry was focused, frowning, pursed lips. Sweat ran down his bright-red cheeks. His short hair was twisted into curls. His shorts were tight and short, much more than anything Louis had ever seen, and his calves were tensing almost painfully. His tank-top revealed pale skin, a few sparse hairs on his chest, swallows on his collarbones. 

“He’s really handsome,” Liam whispered. 

“Yeah.” Louis agreed.

Louis bit his lip hard, horrified. He could feel his face burn from shame and hid it in his hands. It was too late and he was too tired. He would’ve never have said such embarrassing bullshit otherwise. 

“I was talking about Zayn, you know,” Liam chuckled. 

“I know,” Louis whined. “I was talking about Zayn too.”

But Liam was no fool. Louis had been friends with Liam and Niall for as long as he could remember and they knew each other better than anyone else. Nothing could ever divide them. They had always been together, from school to university. Going to university was the best time of their lives. They spent their time between their apartment, the campus and the pub they loved. Louis studied archeology, Niall biology and Liam English literature. The ordinary student life. Louis remembered feeling a bit lost when Liam had announced he was leaving for a six-month internship in Belfast. An emptiness that neither Louis nor Niall could fill. And when Liam finally came back, Louis knew at once that their happy trio would never be a trio again. Liam had met the love of his life in Belfast and Zayn hadn’t hesitated in following him in London. And Zayn’s best friend, Harry, had decided to join them for the fun of it. 

It wasn’t that hard to include them in their group. Zayn was nice, gentle and so gone for Liam. And Harry - funny, charming, teasing, clever Harry. Louis has never understood why such a strong bond binds them together. He was ashamed sometimes; he had never felt so at ease with another person, not even with Niall or Liam. And they were so different. Louis loved dogs, Harry loved cats. Louis had the bad habit of smoking whereas Harry couldn’t stand the smell of it. Louis couldn’t get up before noon while Harry got up at dawn. Louis wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t a burger or a pizza, while Harry insisted on drinking kale smoothies at least once a day. Kale smoothies, for God’s sake! Louis couldn’t understand the man. 

But at the same time, they could spend hours talking about everything and nothing: the last Tarantino movie they watched together, how people should stop buying plastic water bottles for the sake of the Earth, the pity it was for Daphne du Maurier to be such an underestimated writer. Louis often wondered if he fell for his brown curls and his cheeky smile or his wonderful personality. What he did know, however, was that he fell quickly, deeply, irrevocably. 

Liam laughed louder and Louis punched him in the shoulder. He still wanted to believe his friend wasn’t aware of the extent of his love for Harry. 

“Okay, Harry! Time to rest!”

Out of breath, Harry hit the punching bag one last time, catching it with a solid right hook. Zayn helped him remove his gloves. He smiled when he saw Louis. That’s what he wanted to believe but he was sure Harry smiled for him and Liam. They trotted towards the bench and Harry flopped next to Louis, their shoulders bumping together. He smelled like sweat and deodorant but Louis still thought he smelled good. 

“Hey, Lou,” he said in a soft voice. “Why are you still here? It’s late.”

“Liam forced me,” Louis whined. 

“I did not!” Liam exclaimed. “You’re the one who-“

Louis elbowed him sharply in the ribs to shut him up. Niall joined them, smiling wildly. There was a hole in his T-shirt and Louis had the urge to put his finger in it. He was such a child sometimes. 

Zayn crouched down in front of Harry and started to massage his legs. He was focused, pouting slightly. Louis couldn’t help but notice for the umpteenth time how beautiful Zayn was; long, dark eyelashes that drew shadows on his cheeks, full lips, fine features. A small strand of hair which fell perfectly onto his forehead. Liam was lucky. 

Niall smacked Harry’s arm. 

“That was shitty today, Harry!”

“Hey, how dare you,” Harry whined, frowning. 

“Niall’s right,”Zayn objected. “But I would’ve said it was _really_ shitty.”

“You don’t know how good it feels to be supported by your best friends,” Harry replied sarcastically. “Thanks, guys.”

“You two are awful,” Louis argued. “It’s late. It’s okay if he is a bit down. We’re all exhausted.”

He hated everyone who criticized Harry, even if they were his friends. 

“Exactly!” Harry said, smiling towards Louis. “Louis is a true friend, unlike some people, who I won’t name.”

He slipped his hand through Louis’ hair to accentuate his words. It was gentle, innocent, something he had done thousands of times in the past. Yet it was enough for Louis to have butterflies in his stomach. He tried not to pay attention to the glance Liam and Niall shared. 

“Do you all want to eat something?” he asked instead. “We could go to the pub.”

He secretly hoped to spend more time with Harry. He was really pathetic. 

But Harry got up and stretched his arms above his head. He rubbed his tired eyes. 

“Sorry guys, I have to go. Matthew’s waiting for me.”

Louis tried not to look disappointed. Being in love with Harry wasn’t the problem. No, the real problem was that Harry was with someone else. 


	2. Chapter 2

Nothing could undo Louis’ good mood. Not the rain that ruined his hair, not even the cold wind that froze him to the bones. He sped up, his grip tightening on the paper bag he had in his hand. He turned left and entered the gym, passing the receptionist, Sally, who greeted him from behind her desk. He didn’t stop to converse with her, instead going straight to the boxing gym where Liam and Niall were waiting for him in front of the door, chatting quietly. 

“Hey, Louis, we thought you’ll never come!” Liam said in a tone heavily implied that Louis was late.

He was sure he wasn’t. He let his two friends hug him and then, standing on his tiptoes, he glanced through the small window on the door. In the ring, Zayn and Harry fought with strength and grace. Louis was always a bit afraid one of them would hurt the other. 

“Did you buy a cake?” asked Niall, peering into the room over Louis’ shoulders. 

“I’ve got much better than a simple cake!” Louis smiled. “I went to that French bakery Harry loves so much.”

Liam pulled out the paper bag and peeked inside. 

“Louis, seriously, we cannot stick a candle in a croissant,” he sighed, frowning. ”I told you that-” 

“Of course we can stick a candle in a croissant! Don’t be so pessimistic Liam.”

“Guys, don’t you squabble,” Niall chuckled. “Harry loves croissants, he’s gonna be happy. Liam, did you hear from Matthew? Is he gonna join us?” 

Liam shook his head and Louis rolled his eyes, snorting. That wasn’t a surprise. 

“I sent him a few texts, but he hasn’t replied to any of them.” Liam explained. “But he’s definitely read them all.” 

“What an asshole,” Louis grunted. 

And he wasn’t just saying so because he was jealous . He likes to think that he could be happy for Harry, if his boyfriend was not that odious. Of all the men that he could’ve picked, Harry had fallen for the most dreadful man that might exist. Matthew was selfish, narcissistic and a total prick. It had been three months since he and Harry had started dating and he still hadn’t wanted to meet his friends. Harry’s surprise birthday party was the best way to get to know each other, but that asshole apparently had better things to do. 

“You should tell him,” Niall said, nudging Louis’ shoulder. 

“Tell what to whom?”

“Tell Harry that he should break up with that loser,” Niall explained, irritated. 

“He already knows it.” 

Indeed, Louis had stopped a long time ago to count the number of times Harry complained about his boyfriend :  _ Matthew has cancelled our outing to the restaurant, Matthew doesn’t want to go away for the weekend, Matthew says it’s ridiculous when I paint my nails, Matthew would rather spend time with his friends than me _ . Louis had already tried to make him understand that Matthew wasn’t worthy of all he had to give. He had told him nicely, calmly, patiently. But Harry seemed to refuse to face the truth. Louis had decided that he couldn’t spend so much time caring about a relationship that wasn’t his. If Harry wallowed in his misery, if he wanted to keep going with a toxic relationship, then that was his choice, not Louis’. 

“Anyway, this will be better without him,” Niall said, shrugging. 

He was totally right. Louis was more than happy to know he wouldn’t see Matthew stuck on Harry’s side, touching his waist or, God forbid, kissing him. Even Louis’ level of tolerance had its limits. 

Inside the room, Harry and Zayn had stopped the fight. They looked like they were debriefing, Zayn had his hand on Harry’s shoulder and the latter looked focused, pinching his bottom lip between his fingers. 

“I think we can go in guys,” Louis declared. “You ready?”

Liam and Niall nodded. Liam took a birthday candle from his pocket and succeeded at sticking it in the croissant. Louis took his lighter out of his pocket and flicked it open, swiftly lighting the candle. Then, they pushed the door open and entered the room, singing. 

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!” 

Harry turned around quickly. His eyes shining, he smiled widely and that smile is exactly the reason why Louis had wanted to organize a surprise birthday for him. Zayn hugged Harry from behind and then gave him a light shove to encourage him down from the ring. Louis pressed the croissant right in his face, making him squint. 

“Come on, Harold, make a wish!”

Harry smiled more, all dimples and crinkly eyes. A strand of hair was stuck to his forehead and Louis raised his hand to remove it. Harry hesitated a moment, then blew hard. He carefully pulled the candle out and tore off a piece of croissant. 

“Thanks a lot, guys,” he mumbled with his mouth full. “You’re the best.”

“We have another surprise for you!” Niall exclaimed, cheerful. “You and Zayn, hurry up and go take a shower!”

Harry put the croissant back in the paper bag and swept the few crumbs off his mouth. 

“Let me hug you first ! Louis, come on!”

Before Louis could argue, Harry wrapped his arms around his neck and pressed his sweaty cheek against Louis’. 

“Harry! Get off, you stink!”

“I know, but you love me anyway.”

Louis felt weak. His heart hammered in his chest. Harry had said that as a joke, but Louis didn’t laugh. Harry stepped back and hurried to hug the other boys. Finally, he and Zayn went to the showers. Louis couldn’t help but look at Harry’s bum. He gulped. Why was he wearing shorts that tight? 

“Don’t look so silly” Niall chuckled. “We know you’re in love with him.”

Louis whined loudly and hid his face in his hands. He wasn’t that obvious, right? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not hesitate to leave comments and kudos xxx


	3. Chapter 3

It was hot. It was hot and alcohol was messing with Louis’ mind. He pressed the bottle of beer against his cheek to cool it down. He sank a bit more into the sofa and threw his head back. The ceiling was blurred and if he focused, he was sure it made strange waves. It was better to close his eyes. He had a terrible headache and Liam and Niall’s shrill cries were only making it worse. They were playing Just Dance and Zayn encouraged his boyfriend with energy, just like a cheerleader. It could’ve been cute if he wasn’t shouting louder than the music. The floor was strewn with bottles of beer, pizza boxes, gift paper. They clubbed together to offer him the ride in a hot-air balloon Harry had dreamed about for years and he had looked really happy. But as the evening passed, Harry became quieter. Lying on the sofa, his feet burrowed under Louis’ thighs, he tapped away at his phone, frowning. 

Louis turned his head on the side and caught Harry’s ankle to catch his attention. Harry put his phone on his tummy and raised his head. He had dark circles under his eyes. 

“You okay?” Louis asked with a small smile. 

“Yeah” Harry answered, nodding. “I’m just a little tired. What about you? You drank too much.”

Louis chuckled and got up. He stretched his hand for Harry to take. 

“You’re right. I’m gonna go outside. Come with me?”

Harry nodded and wrapped himself in a fluffy blanket. Louis looked around him to find his jacket but Harry was quicker. He threw something at his face. 

“Here, take my jumper,” he offered. “It’s really cold outside.”

He didn’t wait for an answer and walked out into the small garden in front of Liam and Zayn’s house. Louis was a little hesitant, but put on the jumper before he could think too much about it. It was too big for him; the sleeves covered his hands. It smelled like soap and Harry’s cologne. Louis didn’t know if he felt weak because of the smell or the alcohol running fast in his veins. He joined Harry in the garden. 

Harry was right, it was really cold outside. Louis tightened his arms around his middle; he wanted to come closer to Harry, just to benefit from his body warmth, but he didn’t move. Harry turned around to face him and the moon made his face look paler than usual. He looked exhausted. 

“Have you had a good time?” Louis asked, pulling a packet of cigarettes out of his jeans. 

He lit up, took a puff and watched Harry frown when he blew out the smoke. 

“Of course,” Harry answered, giggling. “Thanks a lot. It was more than anything I could have asked for.”

“We just wanted to make you happy,” Louis said, shrugging. 

Harry smiled more. Louis leaned against the brick wall. Thick clouds made the sky look heavy. Louis finished his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray. It was unusual that neither one of them had anything to say and Louis felt ill at ease. He thought it was maybe time to give Harry the little present he had bought and that he didn’t want their friends to see. He took a small box out of his pocket, it felt heavy in his hand and his heart started to beat faster. 

“Haz, I’ve got a little something for you,” he said in a soft voice, barely managing to hold back the tremor. 

Harry looked surprised and stepped towards Louis, taking the small box in his hand. Louis was nervous, pinching his lip between his thumb and his finger. Harry opened the box and stared wide-eyed at what was inside. Dimples popped out as his smile widened. 

“Lou, it’s so pretty!” he whispered. “Can you help me put it on?”

Louis had never felt so relieved. He nodded and took the necklace out of the box. Harry turned around and Louis had to stand on his tiptoes to hang it around his neck. He smelled like vanilla. Harry turned again to face Louis, smiling wide, running his finger over the pendant. The small silver mermaid twinkled on his skin.

“Thank you so much, Lou. I love it.”

Louis wanted to kiss him. He wanted to know if his plump, cherry-looking lips still tasted the same, when they had kissed at Liam’s birthday party six months ago. He still remembered the taste of tequila on Harry’s tongue, the way his hands had left red marks on his hips and his nails scratched at his lower back. It had been a moment of madness; too much alcohol and weed. Harry had kissed him like he was the only person in the world. And then, the day after, both of them had pretended nothing happened. They never talked about it. Louis sometimes wondered if Harry even remembered it.

What he was sure was that, when he had finally decided he was brave enough to confront him, a few weeks later, Harry had told him he had met Matthew. It was too late now.

Louis leaned against the wall again, Harry did the same, their arms touching. He sighed loudly. 

“Listen, I’m so sorry,” he said. “You and the guys organized the best birthday party ever and I’m totally lifeless. I’m sorry, Louis.”

“What’s wrong?”

Harry ran his hand over his face, then through his hair. He turned his head to look Louis in the eye. 

“He forgot my birthday. He forgot my fucking birthday. I’ve been waiting all day long for a text, maybe a call. I even thought he would surprise me. Fuck- You’re the one who surprised me, for God’s sake! And you know what, Louis? He doesn’t even answer my texts! I don’t know where the fuck he is, what the fuck he is doing- and it’s my fucking birthday!”

His tone was so cold. Louis had never seen him being so angry with Matthew. Usually, he always looked for excuses. Always. But tonight, Harry was really annoyed and Louis was determined to rub salt in the wounds. 

“Liam wanted him to come to the party,” he confessed. “But he never answered.”

“Fuck.”

Harry leaned a bit more against Louis’ arm. He fiddled with the pendant. 

“I’m sure he’s with his friends. Or with someone else. He cheats on me, I can feel it. He’s always late. He is-”

Louis chuckled. He was sure Matthew was the least faithful man on earth. Harry nudged him in the arm. 

“That’s not funny, Lou,” he whined, pressing his forehead on Louis’ shoulder. 

“Come on, Haz.” Louis sighed, kissing the top of his head. “He’s always been like that! Don’t act like you just discovered it. He likes being surrounded by his harem. He likes playing. He likes teasing. He likes flirting. Do you want me to go on? Do you want more things on the list of  _ Reasons Why Matthew is such a Shitty Boyfriend?” _

“What do you want me to do?” 

_ Be mine and I’ll show you what it's like to be taken care of _ , Louis thought. They’d had this conversation too many times and Louis already knew how it was going to end. He really didn’t want to argue with him tonight. Harry was warm against him and he wished he would never leave his side. 

“You know what I think about it, Haz. You deserve so much more.”

“I know,” Harry whined again. “I know you’re right. But what can I do?”

“Tell him to fuck off. Simple and effective. Even his tiny brain will understand.”

Harry shook his head. Louis tried hard not to focus on the closeness of their bodies and the way Harry’s breath tickled his neck. 

“I want proof.”

“It doesn’t matter, Harry. It fucking doesn’t matter, because you know deep inside that he isn’t being faithful!”

Louis was angry now. He was angry that Harry could be so naive and stupid. Harry sighed loudly and straightened, cold air replacing his warmth on Louis’ arm. 

“I shouldn’t have told you this,” he said, sounding tired. “Sorry.”

He was about to go back inside, but Louis caught his wrist, stopping him. 

“Do you love him?” He asked quietly.

Louis knew he shouldn’t ask such things, because he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the answer. But it had been weeks since he wanted to know Harry’s true feelings. Sure he was in love, Harry wouldn’t stay with Matthew otherwise. 

“I- I think.. I don’t think I do.”

The answer wasn’t what Louis had expected and he must’ve looked really surprised, because Harry giggled. 

“Why the fuck-” he started, shaking his head. 

“Don’t be so angry,” Harry objected, giggling more. “I guess I have feelings for him, but like- No. No, I’m not in love with him.”

“Then why the fuck-”

Harry put his hand on Louis’ mouth, shutting him down. He looked malicious, tight lips, trying to contain his smile. Louis could feel his pulse through the fine skin of his wrist. Harry lifted his hand to put a strand of hair behind Louis’ ear. 

“I don’t wanna talk about it now,” he said softly. “Let’s go back inside, yeah?”

Louis didn’t want to talk about it either so he nodded and followed Harry inside. 

Later that night, after Harry had fallen asleep in Louis’ bed, because he had drank too much to go back to his place, Louis couldn’t sleep. Harry’s feet were too cold against his calves, his chest too hot against his back. He snored softly, his breath tickling his ear. Yet Louis was sure he wasn’t that close when they had fallen on the bed. He didn’t mind being close to Harry. He loved it. He wasn’t ashamed of stealing moments that weren’t his. They were supposed to be Matthew’s. Matthew, who was certainly sleeping with someone else right now. 

Louis turned his pillow, it was too hot under his cheek. If Harry was sure Matthew was cheating on him, if he was sure that he didn’t love him- Then why the fuck was he still with him? 


	4. Chapter 4

This is a fucking bad idea. 

“This is a bad idea,” Liam said, frowning. 

Zayn patted the top of his head in an attempt to soothe him. Louis looked at them, smiling. They were cute together. He was sitting in the corner of the couch, legs tucked under his bum. He quite agreed with Liam: this was a terrible idea. 

Niall threw a packet of crisps at Liam, who probably would've been offended if he wasn’t so hungry. He opened it and plunged his hand in. He refused to give Zayn some. 

“I know it’s a bad idea, Liam.” Harry sighed, flopping on the couch next to Louis. “But I’ll feel much better once it’s done.”

“Personally, I think it’s a wonderful idea!” Niall exclaimed. “We’ll finally get rid of him!”

Louis wanted to laugh at Niall’s cunning smile. Niall pushed Harry so that he could sit beside him and Harry slapped the back of his head. 

“Don’t thrill at my misfortune, Niall! You’re such a bad friend.”

Niall pouted and Harry kissed him on the cheek. They were cute too. Louis was crushed against the arm of the couch, Harry’s arm pressed against his, his vanilla scent filling the room. 

“You sure you wanna do this?” Zayn asked in a soft voice. 

“Yeah. I need to know,” Harry answered. 

He took his laptop and opened it. Louis felt a bit nauseous. He didn’t want to be part of it. It felt wrong. 

After his birthday party, Harry had decided Matthew was cheating on him. He wanted to break up with him. But he still needed proof to confront that bastard. That was totally unnecessary, Louis thought. Confronting Matthew meant that the idiot could give an explanation, even apologize and Harry could easily forgive. That was not what Louis wanted. 

So Harry had created a fake account on Twitter to flirt with Matthew. Liam was right; this is a fucking bad idea. 

Niall laughed at the pic Harry had chosen for the fake account. A true playboy, brown hair, mysterious eyes, a cheeky smile and fine muscles visible under his shirt. That was ridiculous. Louis was on the verge of going outside to smoke a cigarette. But a small part of him to see how far it could go. Zayn stood up to come closer and sat on the back of the couch, starting at the screen. Liam was still sulking, far too wise to take part in such a bad plan. 

“You sure he’s gonna fall in the trap?” Niall chuckled. “Isn’t it a bit too much?”

“Nothing’s too much for Matthew,” Harry reminded him. 

“Come on, Harry, send him a text!” Zayn urged. 

Harry tapped Matthew’s name in the research bar and clicked on the icon.  _ Matt, 26, make your life a masterpiece, you only get one canvas.  _ Louis held back a laugh, rolling his eyes. What an asshole. 

Harry took a deep breath and began to type.

_ Harry : hey! sorry to bother u, but i saw u at the pub last Saturday and i was afraid to come talk to u _

It seemed like everyone was holding their breath. Even Liam had stopped munching his crisps. Louis’ heart was beating fast in his chest and he had damp hands. He wanted this bad idea to work. He was almost surprised when Matthew replied. Niall clapped his hands.

“What did he say? What did he say?”

_ Matthew : u sure? i wouldn’t have forgotten such a beautiful face ;)  _

Louis sighed. Matthew was trapped. Harry was biting his lip hard, fingers tapping out a reply. 

_ Harry : there were a lot of people, u might have not seen me. But i couldn’t take my eyes off u _

_ Matthew : such a pity i didn’t see u. We could’ve had a lot of fun.  _

Niall shook his head, looking angry. This was nothing compared to Harry. His jaw was clenched, tension visible in his shoulders, his eyes dark. 

_ Harry : have fun? but we don’t know each other yet  _

_ Matthew : i’m not looking for a friend, guess ur not either?  _

_ Harry : ur right. Can i ask something? _

_ Matthew : go ahead love  _

_ Harry : do u have a boyfriend?  _

Louis started biting his nail, nervous. He didn’t like seeing Harry so angry. Angry and hurt. He wanted to make him feel good. If only he could see how gone he was for him. Zayn must have sensed his anxiety, because he presses a gentle hand to his neck. 

_ Matthew : course not! commitment ain’t right for me  _

The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone was looking at Harry, sizing him up. He glared at the screen with his brows furrowed. His fingers flew over the keyboard, but he suddenly shut the laptop down. 

“Okay. Right. I’m a cuckold.”

He put the laptop back on the coffee table and got up. Louis never felt so ill at ease. A cold sweat ran down his spine as he looked at Harry with worried eyes. He could feel the humiliation radiating from him. Zayn got around the couch and took Harry into a hug. 

“I’m sorry, Haz,” he mumbled. 

“I had to do it, now it’s done. I’m gonna take a shower and then we can get wasted, what do you think guys? And stop looking at me like that, I’m not gonna die.”

He rolled his eyes and chuckled a bit. He then went to the bathroom, closing the door hard behind him. A moment passed and Louis wanted to laugh at his friends’ blank faces. None of them dared moving, as if afraid of breaking a strange spell. He got up and clasped his hands, making Liam jump. 

“You heard him guys, let’s get wasted!”

He went into the kitchen and opened the cupboards, looking for glasses. Then he took the corkscrew and the bottle of wine he bought before coming to Harry’s. He smiled when he saw the Polaroids on the fridge: some of all of them, some of Harry’s family, a lot of just the two of them. None of Matthew. Louis was thrilled. 

He went back to the living-room and opened the bottle, serving his friends some wine. He sat back on the couch, throwing his head back. The anxiety had left his body and he was quite ashamed of feeling so relieved. He shouldn’t be excited at his best friend’s breakup. But it was so nice to know Matthew was out of the way. Relieved and happy Louis was. 

Niall nudged him with his foot. 

“Why do you think he stays with Harry?” he asked. “He could just be single and fuck everyone he wants.”

“Because he needs a figure of stability in his life,” Louis answered, sipping his wine. “He needs someone to wait for him at night. He uses Harry to boost his ego. God, I could punch him right in the face if he was in front of me. I hate him so much.”

“We all hate him so much,” Zayn chuckled softly. 

“What are you gonna do now, Lou?” Liam said, looking nervous. 

“What do you want me to do?”

Louis frowned, suspicious. His friends looked at him as if he were totally stupid. 

“You’re an idiot,” Niall declared. “You know what Liam is talking about.”

“Why are you insulting me? I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“That's exactly the problem!”

“Why are you shouting, Niall, for God’ sake!”

Liam threw a cushion at both Louis and Niall. Louis was indignant. 

“What Niall is trying to say is that it’s maybe time for you to- You know.”

“No, I don’t know, why are you all being so mysterious? What’s wrong?” Louis asked, losing his temper. 

“It’s time for you to tell Harry you love him, you moron,” Niall sighed, sounding exhausted. 

Louis blushed. He knew his friends had known his feelings for Harry for a long time. At this point, he didn’t even try to hide it anymore. But that didn’t mean he was willing to listen to them give such stupid advice. 

“Will you shut up?” Louis asked through gritted teeth. “I won’t say anything to Harry. He’s my best friend. I don’t wanna lose him just because-“

A door slammed shut in the hallway. Louis looked at his friends with wide eyes. They at least had the decency to shut the fuck up. Harry came into the living-room and flopped on the couch next to Louis. His wet hair curled in every direction and he was shaven clean. He took Louis’ glass from his hand without even asking and took a swig. He threw his head back and Louis wanted to kiss the soft skin of his neck. God, he was so gone for this boy. 

“Alright, guys,” Harry said, giving the glass back to Louis. “This is a war council. I need to break up with Matthew, but I don’t know how.”

“Kick his ass out your life,” Liam shrugged, stretching his legs on Zayn’s lap. “You’re a boxer, Harry, you should easily convince him.”

“I’m not gonna threaten him, Lima. What kind of man would that make of me? I just want to have a little revenge.”

“The kind of man who can’t take bullshit anymore,” Zayn argued. 

Harry shook his head and shuffled closer to Louis, pressing his forehead on his shoulder. 

There was a moment of dead silence. Louis was about to refill his glass when he noticed the way Niall was looking at him. His heart beat faster in his chest; nothing good could come of this look. Louis tried to be subtle as he silently articulated a  _ don’t you dare  _ at Niall. But the latter smiled wider and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, looking straight at Harry with cunning eyes. 

“Mate, I think I’ve got an idea,” he said in a joyful voice. 

“What? What is it?” Harry asked, concerned. 

“Coming from Niall, it’s gonna be loads of bullshit,” Louis laughed sarcastically. 

He glanced at his friend, glaring daggers and Niall chuckled. He looked like his idea could end world hunger and Louis was horrified. He considered leaving Harry’s flat right away, but that would be suspicious. He was trapped. 

“Come on, Niall! Tell me!” Harry insisted, excited. 

“You can threaten him other than with violence. You said you want a little revenge, right? What if an ex-boyfriend came to reconquer you? You know, the jealous and aggressive kind.”

Harry sighed loudly, closing his eyes. Louis frowned, just like Liam and Zayn. What was he talking about? And why was he still looking at Louis that way? 

“Niall, this could’ve been a nice idea if I had an ex-boyfriend, but-”

“Let me explain!” Niall barged in. “ You don’t have an ex-boyfriend but you can pretend you have one! I’m sure Louis would love to help you with that.”

Liam almost choked on his wine and Zayn bit so hard on his lip to contain his laughter that it might have bled. Niall looked satisfied as hell, of course he was the little shit, and Louis just had time to flip him the finger before Harry turned to him. He was fucking delighted. 

“It could work! It would wreck him to see us together! What do you think, Louis?” he asked, hopeful. 

Louis didn’t know what to answer. He felt four pairs of eyes set on him and his cheeks flushed. He was hot and he needed a cigarette and another glass of wine. He almost jumped when Harry took his wrist in his hand, tracing patterns on his skin. He was frowning. 

“Let’s forget about it, Lou. I can’t ask you such things.”

He looked so vulnerable, with his lilac jumper and grey sweatpants, his lip tucked between his finger and his thumb, worried he might have hurt Louis’ feelings. How could Louis say no? He nodded slowly. 

“It’s okay, Haz. Let’s do it. I can be your jealous ex-boyfriend, if that’s what you want,” he offered. 

Harry grinned, relieved, and Louis wanted to poke his dimples. He still felt his friends’ intense stare on him. They could go fuck themselves with their presumptions. Louis would only pretend he was Harry’s ex-boyfriend in order to help him. That's what friends did. Help each other. And if all this could work in favour of Louis’ feelings- well, he couldn’t say no. 


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, Louis sat on the same couch, half listening to Harry’s rambling monologue. 

“Did you understand, Louis?”

Louis nodded and tried to hide his shaky hands between his thighs. God, he was so nervous. Harry, on the other hand, looked calm, peaceful. Maybe a little excited. His finger played with the mermaid pendant around his neck. He hadn’t removed it since Louis had given it to him. His features were relaxed and he grinned at Louis. It was good to see him so happy to take his revenge. 

The plan was clear: Matthew must come back from work a few minutes later and catch them together on the couch. Simple and effective. But when Louis had agreed to help Harry, he never thought kissing him was part of the plan. Maybe that’s why he was so nervous. But Harry had insisted, sure it would drive Matthew mad. Louis couldn’t say no. Didn’t want to say no. 

Harry sat close to him, hands on his lap. 

“Well, it shouldn’t take long,” he sighed, turning to Louis. “I can’t wait for it to be done.”

“A simple text telling him to fuck off would’ve been a lot easier, you know,” Louis pointed out, chuckling. 

“Easier but less funny,” Harry grinned. 

Louis smiled back and sank into the soft cushions. Harry kneeled beside him. 

“You sure you don’t mind if I kiss you?” 

Louis didn’t have time to answer that it was okay. They both jumped when they heard the sound of a key in the lock. Harry closed up the space between them so fast that his forehead hit Louis’, but he didn’t care about the pain because Harry immediately began kissing him. Louis stretched out his legs and Harry fell between them, their chests pressed together. Louis didn’t understand why Harry pushed his tongue into his half-opened mouth. His hand tightened around his arm. Louis almost left out a moan, but Matthew’s shout made him swallow it down. 

“What the fuck is going on here?!”

Harry quickly sat up straight and Louis quivered at the lack of warmth. He almost would have laughed at the falsely surprised look on his face if Matthew’s death glare didn’t froze him to the bone. 

“Oh, Matthew,” Harry sighed. “I didn’t know you’d be back so early.” 

“Yeah? You thought you’d have time to fuck your little slut friend?” Matthew snapped through gritted teeth.

Louis didn’t have time to be indignant about the insult, because Matthew quickly stepped towards him, threatening. Louis hurried to stand up, facing him. Matthew pushed him back towards the wall. 

“Who the fuck are you?” he asked. 

Harry stood up, suddenly more concerned. 

“It’s Louis, he’s-” 

“What the fuck are you doing with Harry?” Matthew interrupted, ignoring Harry. 

He was focused on Louis only. Louis looked up, batting his lashes. 

“You really want me to tell you about it?” Louis scoffed at Matthew. “Harry never talked to you about me? I’m his ex-boyfriend, but guess what? I don’t like that status.”

Matthew grunted and pushed Louis again, his hand on his shoulder. Louis could feel the anger build in the pit of his stomach. He pushed his hand away, tightening his grip on his wrist. 

“Don’t you dare touch me again,” he warned, clenched jaw. 

“Matthew, calm down,” Harry said with a deep voice. God, Louis could have fallen to his knees for that voice. “Louis did nothing. I should’ve told you before but- We’ve seen each other for a few weeks now and- I’m the one who called him. I missed him.”

Louis never thought Harry could be such a good actor. But the situation wasn’t a comedy. Matthew turned to Harry and caught him by the collar. 

“Shut the fuck up, you cheating bastard!” he shouted. 

Louis saw his fingers tightened more around the collar and he didn’t wait for Harry to react. He surged forward, making Harry step aside and pushed Matthew until his back hit the wall behind him. 

“You’re the one who’s gonna shut the fuck up,” Louis snarled, hands shaking. “You’re a loser, a shitty boyfriend. Did you really think-”

He was interrupted by a fucking punch that he didn’t see coming and that hit him right in the face. He immediately felt the taste of blood in his mouth and the pain in his split lip. Harry’ scream echoed behind his back. 

“For God’ sake, Matthew, don’t fucking touch him! You’re fucking crazy!” 

Enraged, Matthew rushed towards Harry, but pushed him back against the wall, again. His brain seemed to be disconnected from the rest of his body, as he watched, horrified, his hand rising without his consent. He punched him once, right on the cheek, and then a little higher. Louis winced at the cracking sound and Matthew screamed in pain. Blood flooded from his nose, but Louis didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for him. He cared more about his stiff fingers. 

Harry threw himself on Louis, gripping his arm. 

“Stop, Louis! Please, stop,” he pleaded. 

“Fuck, you son of a bitch, you broke my nose!” Matthew shouted. 

His voice was as broken as his nose. 

“You should be happy that I only broke your nose,” Louis hissed, trying to wriggle free from Harry’s hold. 

Matthew wiped his nose with his sleeve and his stare wavered between Louis and Harry. He was such a dickhead. Louis wanted to punch him again. 

“Get out, Matthew” Harry breathed out. “Get out and don’t you dare come back again.”

Matthew seemed to hesitate, but he stepped back when Harry moved towards him. 

“Did you hear me? Get the fuck out of my flat!”

“You’ll regret that, I promise you,” Matthew spat. “Go fuck youself, Harry.” 

“I’ll let Louis do that, don’t you worry” 

It was just a provocation, it was part of the plan and Louis knew it. It shouldn’t be so endearing, not when his lip was hurting this bad and he could still taste the blood in his mouth. Matthew looked at them with disdain and finally walked through the door. 

Louis’ heart was still beating fast in his chest. With shaky hands, he took a cigarette out of his packet and lit up. Harry winced at the smell but Louis couldn’t be bothered. He could hear the blood pumping in his veins and the long puff couldn’t calm his nerves. He knew he must look like a total idiot with his cigarette tucked in the corner of his mouth. His fingers were sore and he was sure to have bruises on them in the morning. Harry sat back on the couch, sheepish. 

“You really broke his nose, you know?” he sighed. 

“Do I look like someone who care about his fucking nose?” Louis snarled, taking a puff from his cigarette. 

“You look like someone who’s mad at me.”

Louis didn’t answer, because he didn’t want to hurt him. But yeah, he was furious. He never thought it would happen that way, he never thought Matthew would be bold enough to hit him. His male ego was hurt. Most of all, he was angry with Harry because all of this wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t get with Matthew in the first place. Louis finished his cigarette and went to open the window to throw the butt outside. It was raining. Louis took a deep breath to calm down. 

“You’re the one who should have broken his nose,” Louis said, closing the window. “You’re the one who boxes, Harry. How is it that you couldn’t throw his fucking ass out?”

“I’m really sorry, I never thought he would hit you, I never thought he... God, Louis, don’t be so mad at me, I’m so sorry.”

Louis knew he should just tell me it was okay, go back to his flat and go on. But it seemed impossible now. Too many things were on the verge of slipping out of his mouth and he wasn’t ready for this. He watched Harry stand up and come towards him slowly. He had damp patches of sweat under his arms. Harry took Louis’ hand and was about to kiss his sore fingers. It was a soothing gesture, friendly and natural coming from him. But it hurt too much. 

“Don’t,” Louis warned, voice unsteady. 

Harry said nothing, but he looked deeply hurt. Louis stepped back in order not to see his sad eyes. He took his jacket from the arm of the couch. 

“I gotta go. See you later, yeah?”

“Lou, can’t you stay with me? Please? I don’t wanna... I don’t wanna be alone tonight.”

He shouldn’t have said that. He turned around quickly, clenched fists on his jacket. 

“You don’t wanna be alone?” Louis repeated. 

“You know it is not what I meant,” Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Is that why you were with Matthew in the first place ? Not to be lonely at night?” 

“Louis, I just-”

“I’m not a fucking stand-in!”

“Of course you’re not! You’re talking shit and you know it. Matthew’s nothing compared to you.”

“Okay, come on, tell me why the fuck you were with him anyway. He’s ruined both of our lives!”

“Because it was easier, for God’s sake!” Harry shouted. 

Harry was angry now, almost as much as Louis was. He was pacing around the living-room, restless. He looked exhausted and a strand of hair was stuck to his forehead. If Louis wasn’t that mad, he would have put it behind his ear. But he  _ was  _ fucking mad. 

“Easier than what?” he asked, hands on his hips. 

“You never understood, did you?”

“For fuck sake, don’t be that mysterious, I hate it when you act that way!”

Harry stopped in his track, clenched fists on his sides. His jaw drew a hard line on his face. Louis couldn’t see the light in his eyes, replaced by a dark shade of green. Harry looked at Louis, unimpressed, as he pronounced what made Louis’ heart stop. 

“It was simpler than admitting I was in love with you.”

Louis thought he was going to faint. That was it. Louis’ heart didn’t stop but beat faster, faster, faster. That was very cliche but it seemed to him that time had stopped. 

“What did you say?” he asked, unsure. 

Harry chuckled. He chuckled and Louis never felt so light-hearted. He decided it was best if he sat down on the couch, not sure if his legs could bear his weight after such a declaration. 

“You really are in love with me?” he asked again, lifting his head to meet Harry’s eyes. 

There was mischief in those green eyes. And something else. Harry smiled but he couldn’t help but nibble on his lower lip, uncertain. His cheeks were burning red, his brows slightly frowned. He never looked so beautiful. He sat on the couch, too close, Louis thought, their knees bumping together. 

“Yes, I am in love with you.” He finally answered. “Since the very beginning. But I truly understood it when we kissed at Liam’s party. Is that clear now? What about you?” 

“Why did you never say anything?” Louis asked, ignoring the question. “ Why for fuck sake? What the hell were you thinking? I mean, it’s not like-” 

Louis didn’t have the time to finish his rambling monologue, because Harry surged forward, pressing his lips against his. It was not what Louis thought it would be if he even had the chance to kiss Harry. It was not romantic, it was hot and messy, wet and needy. Just like the first time they kissed and Louis’s head was spinning with the feeling of it. This time, Harry didn’t taste like tequila, but something like herbal tea. Louis didn’t give a shit about what Harry tasted, it was fucking delicious and he hoped that he’ll never stopped kissing him that way. He gripped his hair, making him shiver. Louis made a mental note to remember that for later. Harry shifted closer and he let a small moan out when Louis pushed his hips forward. He finally broke the kiss, breathing heavily. 

“You didn’t answer me,” he whispered, burying his face in Louis’ neck. 

Fuck, it had been so long since Louis wanted to have this conversation. Yet it seemed to be so out of place, not the right time to speak about love when all Louis could think about was the growing bulge he felt between Harry’s thighs. He turned his head to kiss Harry’s temple. 

“Baby,” he sighed. 

And it was more than any love declaration Harry needed for now. He shifted again, pressing his hips down on Louis, just to hear him moan. 

“I’ve wanted you for so, so long, Lou,” he declared, mouth wet against Louis’ neck. 

“You should’ve said so a long time ago, you idiot,” Louis chuckled, running a hand down Harry’s spine. 

“I was afraid you would turn me down.”

Louis couldn’t see Harry’s face, but he was sure he was pouting. He slipped his hand under his shirt, feeling his hot skin shiver at the contact. 

“I would’ve never,” he answered, nails digging into Harry’s back. “Never, never, never.” 

It was quite weird to think that they were both in love without the other not knowing a single thing about it. How stupid they had been! Louis’ heart hummered a bit faster, anger on the verge of resurfacing. Harry spent six awful months with Matthew just to await his feelings for Louis. 

He was sure that Harry had felt him tense. He kissed his neck, the spot behind his ear, his jaw, his shin, slowly coming back to his lips. 

“Don’t think about it,” he whispered against Louis’ mouth. “Let’s focus on something more... pleasing.”

With that, he pressed his hand on Louis’ crotch, releasing a soft moan. He then got up and held his hand out for Louis to take. Slowly, they made their way to the bedroom, stopping every now and then just to kiss sloppily, all tongue and open mouth. 

They quickly took their shirts off and Harry made Louis step back until he lied down on the bed. Louis had already seen Harry shirtless a countless number of times and it was always a vision, but now, he was straddling his thighs, his nipples were hard and the swallow tattoos looked so dark on his skin, it was just surreal. And his lips... God, they were so swollen, so red, shining with spit... Louis wondered what they would feel like around his cock. 

As if he was reading his mind, Harry leaned down to press a chaste kiss to Louis’s lips, waiting no time to make his way down to his chest, sucking and nibbling the skin to leave marks. He propped open the button of his jeans and slowly slid them along Louis’ legs, making him shiver. He palmed him through his underwear, biting hard on his lip. He didn’t spend much time before getting rid of it. 

Louis knew at that moment that you would never forget the image of Harry’s head between his thighs, his hair and the necklace tickling his navel, mouth leaving wet kisses on his inner thighs. He took his cock in his hand, slowly stroking it. 

“Can I?” he asked, almost shyly. 

“Whatever you want, love” 

Harry rolled his eyes and Louis giggled, before turning into a moaning mess when Harry’s mouth closed around his cock. God, it was better than all Louis had ever imagined. The tight circle of his lips, the warmth, the wetness. The way he hollowed his cheeks, hand slowly palming Louis’ balls, was driving him mad. He started to bob his head faster and Louis couldn’t help himself but grip tight on Harry’s hair, back arched. Harry moaned, hard enough to send vibrations through Louis’ cock and the latter really wondered if this pain kink was something new for Harry. He couldn’t wait to use it at his advantage. 

Harry’s nails digged into Louis’ hips to keep him in place and Louis was quite grateful because he was really on the verge of fucking Harry’s throat ruthlessly. That was not what he wanted for their first time. Romantic and cheesy he was. 

His legs started to tremble and Louis could feel the tight heat in his belly. He was so close already he could’ve been ashamed but he couldn’t care less. Harry was giving him the best blowjob of his life, nothing wrong with being a little too much horny. 

“I’m gonna come,” he warned, mouth dry. 

The wet heat of Harry’s mouth suddenly left him and, to his surprise, he straightened, nuzzling against his thigh. 

“No, you’re not,” he whispered, mischief in his voice. 

He giggled a little when he saw the look of disbelief on Louis’s face. He climbed back to him, pressing his torso against his. He kissed him right on the mouth. 

“I want you to fuck me,” he mumbled against Louis’ lips. “I want you to come in me.”

How could he be so fucking dirty while looking so innocent, Louis thought. But how could he say no to such supplication? He quickly slipped his hand down Harry’s sweaters, his own dick aching at the feeling of the heavy hard cock. 

Harry took his sweaters and boxers down his legs and threw them on the ground. Louis couldn’t tear his eyes off his perfect body, fine muscles and pale skin, thin cover of sweat on his chest, the redness of his cock on his belly. Harry nudged his calf with his feet. 

“Take the lube and a condom, please, he asked. They’re in the nightstand.” 

Louis did as told, fumbling around in the drawer. He would never admit it, but he was thrilled to find the box of condoms unopened. Maybe Matthew had never had Harry that way. Maybe Louis had the privilege to have him that way. That was not the time to ask these kind of questions. He lay on his side next to Harry and the latter immediately wrapped his leg around his waist, keeping him close. Their c ocks aligned together and Harry started to slowly rock his hips forwards. Louis kissed him hotly and ran his hand down Harry’s back, stopping to squeeze his perfect little bum. 

“Want your fingers,” Harry whimpered. “Want them so much, please.”

His voice was pleading now and Louis obliged easily, squeezing a great amount of lube on his fingers. Shaking a little, he pressed his index against Harry’s hole, pushing it all the way in. Harry gasped and Louis was afraid he might have hurt him. He started to remove his finger, but Harry reached behind him, gripping Louis’ wrist. 

“Don’t stop,” he pleaded. “God, it feels so good.”

Louis sighed in relief and moaned a little when Harry pushed back on his finger. He slowly went back and forth, stretching him open. When Harry became a whining mess, Louis removed his finger and pushed two in. He thought of that tight heat around his cock, the way Harry moved his hips to keep the fingers deep in his ass, their cocks brushing together. Both of their bellies were wet and sticky from the precum dribbling on their skin. It was not gross, Louis thought, it was fucking good. 

“Lou, I’m good, we can- we can-”

“Wait a minute, love, I don’t wanna hurt you.”

With that, he added a third finger and relished the groan that escaped Harry’s lips. He was totally wrecked now, breathing heavily, hair a mess, head thrown back. Louis leant in to suck a mark on his throat, while taking his fingers out. Harry moaned at the loss, but Louis quickly kissed him to shut him down. He let Harry open the condom and slid it on his length, putting some lube on it. They stayed on their side, face to face, Harry’s thigh wrapped around Louis’ waist. 

“Ready, love?” Louis asked, fingers brushing Harry’s hair from his forehead. 

He nodded and that’s all it took for Louis to push the tip of his cock against Harry’s rim. It had been a while since Louis had a good fuck, but God,  _ this  _ was perfect. The heat, the tightness, Harry’s nails digging in his arms, his soft moans, everything was actually more than perfect. He started to rock his hips, slowly but hard, unable to stop himself. Harry was whining, their foreheads pressed together. His cock was sliding easily between them and Louis could tell the friction made Harry feel dizzy. 

Suddenly, Louis felt overwhelmed. He couldn’t believe he had Harry in his arms, that he was in Harry and that this was more than he ever dreamed of. Maybe it was a dream. It wouldn’t be the first time he dreamed of such scenarios. He was afraid that the bubble would burst anytime soon. He had to tell Harry before it was too late. 

“I love you,” he said, tightening his grip on Harry’s hip. “Fuck, I love you so much.”

Almost to his surprise, the bubble didn’t burst; Harry was still in his arms. Harry moaned harder and surged forward to kiss him, tongue sliding into his already open mouth. He lifted his hips to change the angle and suddenly his back arched, broken cry stuck in his throat. 

“I’m not gonna last, Lou,” he panted, closing his eyes. 

Louis wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist and turned him on his back, getting a better way to fuck him hard. Harry spread his legs more, bringing his knees up his chest. Louis was losing his rhythm, his thrusts getting more and more sloppy. Louis desperately wanted to make Harry cum first, wanted to make him feel so good. He looked down to where they were connected, then up Harry’s body. He was mesmerized by his sparkling skin, his toned chest, his perky nipples. His perky nipples... He smiled as the best idea in the world came through his mind. He brought his hand to Harry’s chest and pinched his nipple between his fingers. 

That’s all he needed. Back so arched not to be painful, head thrown back, mouth hanging open, Harry came between their two bodies, shouting Louis’ name. His name never sounded so beautiful and the way Harry said it sent a shot of arousal down Louis’ spine. He collapsed on top of Harry, cock deep in his ass, releasing his load in the condom. 

After a few minutes, he pulled out and Harry winced at the loss. Louis tossed the condom aside and curled against Harry’s chest. They were both sticky and Harry’s cum was drying on their skins, but it didn’t matter. Louis almost purred when Harry played with his hair. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, mouth pressed against Harry’s neck. 

“Thank you for what?” 

“For throwing Matthew out,” he giggled. 

Harry laughed a bit too, but he sounded tired. It was late; the moon casted shadows on the wooden floor. Louis straightened to pull the duvet on top of them. They should probably go take a shower but neither of them was brave enough to leave the warmth of the other. Louis was almost asleep, lulled by the slow hummering of Harry’s heart against his cheek, when he felt Harry kiss the top of his head. 

“Thank you.” he mumbled against his hair. 

“Thank you for what?” Louis asked, mouth dry. 

“For loving me, of course.” 


	6. Chapter 6

Louis knew it was not right to look at them. He shouldn’t, really. But it was as if his eyes were attracted. So, his hands gripping the wheel tight, he slightly turned his head on the right and watched Harry and Matthew talk about their recent breakup. Louis had insisted on coming with him, but Harry had asked him to stay quietly in the car. So Louis obliged. 

The thing was that Louis became more and more jealous. It had been almost twenty minutes and Louis had never thought it would take Harry so long to tell his ex-boyfriend –because he was the new boyfriend now, for fuck’s sake- to fuck off and to give him his things back. Louis had suggested they could burn it all, but Harry was too kind to do such things. Louis was in love with him, but God, he could get on his nerves sometimes. 

He was about to honk when Harry finally threw the bag he carried at Matthew’s feet. Matthew looked a bit taken aback, but slowly crouched down to take it. It had been a few days since Louis had hit him and his nose was still wrapped in a bandage. He looked dumber than usual. 

Louis flipped him the finger just before Harry climbed beside him in the car. He leaned in to kiss Louis right on the mouth. 

“We’ve officially got ridden of him!” he exclaimed, clasping his hands together. “Let’s go and celebrate!”

Louis couldn’t help but smile and started the engine. Harry slipped his hand on Louis’ knee, squeezing. 

“I can’t wait to see their reaction,” he said, excitement tangible in his voice. 

When they arrived at Niall’s, he let Harry take his hand and drag him along the corridor. Standing in front of the door, Harry was bouncing on his feet. Niall hardly had time to open the door that Harry hugged him tight. 

“Guys! Guess what?” he shouted. 

He removed his shoes and Louis followed, frowning. Niall closed the door behind them, looking far too smug for Louis’ liking. They stumbled into the living-room, where Liam and Zayn were slumped on the couch. They smiled wildly when they saw their fingers intertwined and Louis blushed. Maybe they could’ve been a bit more discreet. But Harry didn’t seem to bother; he sat on the fluffy armchair he claimed as his when they had helped Niall move in, grabbed at Louis’ waist and made him fall on his lap. He put his hand on Louis’ belly and tucked his chin on his shoulder. Niall came back with a pepperoni pizza and a bottle of prosecco. Louis wondered when he and his friends stopped drinking beer in favor of sparkling posh Italian wine. Niall served the glasses and sat cross-legged on the ground. 

“Guess my plan worked well, didn’t it, Harry?” Niall grinned. 

“As you can see, mate,” Harry chuckled, kissing Louis’ neck. “Thank you very much, by the way.”

“From now on, you can call me Cupid.”

They all bursted into laughter. Louis shuffled to get comfortable on his boyfriend’s lap. Boyfriend. He couldn’t get used to it. 

“How did you know it would work?” Louis asked Niall, smug. 

Niall rolled his eyes, drinking from his glass. He put it back on the coffee-table. 

“Because I’ve been telling you for weeks to tell Harry you love him and I’ve been telling Harry for weeks to tell you he loves you.”

Louis was embarrassed, obviously. He could feel his cheeks burning red. Harry ran a thumb on his pout. He quickly replaced his thumb with his mouth. 

“God, I can’t stand them anymore,” Niall grunted, closing his eyes. “Why am I the only one who’s single now?”

“Matthew is single now,” Harry said. “I can arrange a date, if you want.”

Niall made a gagging sound and Louis’ body was shaken with Harry’s laughter. He felt warm and cozy. Harry smelled good and his hair was tickling Louis’ neck. Louis intertwined their fingers, thumb gently caressing his wrist. 

“Never, never, never!” Niall nearly shouted. 

“What did you find attractive in him, anyway?” Zayn asked, curious. His eyes shifted to Louis and he winced, visibly ashamed. “God, I’m sorry, Lou, that’s not what I meant.” 

Louis waved him off, shrugging. He didn’t mind talking about Matthew. Not when Harry tightened his grip on his waist. Harry shuffled on the armchair and Louis pressed his back against his chest. He never wanted to leave this place. 

“Well, now I can admit it,” Harry sighed, voice muffled by Louis’ shoulder. “I may have been with Matthew in order to get Louis jealous. But it didn’t work well, did it?”

Louis turned his head to face Harry, frowning. 

“What do you mean it didn’t work well? I was jealous, for fuck’ sake!”

“Well, you didn’t really show it, honey,” Harry shrugged. He looked indifferent but his smile grew wider. “Can you believe I bore him for six months for you? You could’ve done better.” 

His tone was playful, but Louis didn’t like it. He removed his hand from Harry’s and crossed his arms on his chest. But Harry didn’t care; he squeezed him in his arms. 

“Aw, babe, now you’re truly jealous,” he beamed, kissing Louis’ cheek. 

“God, you’re disgusting,” Niall grunted. 

Harry ignored him, bringing his mouth close to Louis’ ear. 

“Nothing to be jealous of, honey,” he whispered, hot breath tickling his skin. “I barely saw Matthew when we were together. Surely it’s the reason why he ended up cheating on me, by the way.”

Louis relaxed at his words and looked at Harry with curious eyes. 

“Does it mean that-”

“Yeah.”

Harry kissed him on the lips and leaned to take his glass of prosecco. He left it towards the guys. 

“Let’s have a toast for Louis. Thanks babe for pretending you were my ex-boyfriend. I couldn’t be more happy to have you as my boyfriend now. And I love you with all my heart.”

Louis could have cried if they weren’t in front of their friends. He was thrilled with Harry’s declaration. He jumped when Niall, Liam and Zayn cheered them. Niall left his glass and tinkled his glass against Harry’s. 

“Congratulations, love birds. Thanks God you stopped being so dumb. We wish you a long and healthy relationship!” 

The cheering went louder and they ended up laughing. Louis never felt more happy in his life. He had everything he could’ve dreamed of: loyal friends, a glass of wine in his hand and most importantly a drunken Harry in his arms. As the night went on, every one of them getting drunker as the hours flew by, he couldn’t help but wonder what his life would look like in the future. What he was sure of was that Harry would be part of it. He wanted to take it slow, take him to wonderful dates, take care of him, show him the world. He was a bit afraid it wouldn’t work out. But as Harry kissed him on the mouth, lips tasting like prosecco, mumbling a  _ I love you _ , Louis knew deep inside he’d be alright. He chuckled to himself. If someone had told him he would’ve pretended to be Harry’s ex boyfriend in order to become his boyfriend, he would’ve laughed. And if someone had told this stupid plan would work, he would’ve laugh louder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my fic ! Do not hesitate to leave comments and kudos ! xxx
> 
> I'm currently looking for a beta who would be willing to help me with a big fic (around 60K). If you are interested, you can send me a message on tumblr (teamlouis2020)
> 
> Have a nice day !


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